A Voice in love
by ButaLove
Summary: Epilogue IS UP! Team 7 is protecting a charge who is...well, Sakura finds him hot and Sasuke gets angry about the whole idea of this guy getting too close to her. What happens when the charge's real identity is revealed?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Have fun reading! Pls. read my other stories too! Don't forget to review afterwards!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but having a guy like Sasuke along is a whole different story!

**Love's battlefield**

Chapter 1

Sakura woke up early next morning thanks to her alarm clock which really irritated her since she was having such a nice dream (I'm not even going to say what it was about). She got up her bed and took a bath, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair and put on her normal pair of clothes...sleeveless red dress with tight shorts.

She made her breakfast and ate it. She looked at the clock and it was only 7:10am.she was supposed to meet up with Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke at 8:00am. But this was her normal routine so she left the house without hesitation and went to their usual meeting spot.

As she walked towards the bridge, she saw someone standing there and looked again as she got closer. It was Sasuke. Well duh, he always arrives early to train sometimes. Anyway, she said to Sasuke with a very cheerful smile

"Good morning Sasuke-kun!"

"Morning"

Sakura stood there smiling at him then went to face the rising sun. it was beautiful.

Sasuke was leaning on the ledge of the bridge, astounded by Sakura's beauty as it was shown when the rising sun had touched her skin. Sasuke started blushing but good thing nobody noticed this. He said in his head.

"Sakura is really beauti—"

His thoughts were broken by the loud sound of feet pounding on the floor and a shout that said:

"Ohayou, Sakura-Chan! ...Sasuke-bastard!" Jealousy overtook Naruto as he saw Sasuke with Sakura being alone in the bridge together.

"How dare you stare at Sakura-san like that!" Naruto gave an icy glare at Sasuke. Sakura looked at Naruto in surprise. Sasuke noticed this and said

"What are you talking about dope!" he said this in hope that he could change the topic…he prevailed.

"Who you calling dope, bastard!"

"Stupid ass!"

"Ass-wipe"

"Bitch!"

"Okay, stop it you guys! You're irritating me." The 2 just stared at her and stopped. It was amazing on how she, a woman, take charge of the two genins. Two hours have passed as they waited for their sensei to come. Finally out of nowhere, a poof of smoke appeared and their sensei was their. He made up this weird excuse..

"Sorry I was late. Well, on my way I heard my favorite song playing in the radio (a/n-do they even have radios? Anyways, just bear with me) and I just had to listen—"he was cut off by Sakura and Naruto.

"LIAR!" They shouted at him in unison. (Except Sasuke, who was keeping his cool)

"Right well our mission today is to bring our charge to the river country" Their sensei told them as if it were no big deal.

"Nani? Kakashi-sensei, that country is so far!" Sakura screamed at her teacher. Kakashi answered back that it would be alright since he knows short-cuts.

He also said "It would take us about 3 days." Sakura gradually said to herself "Good! I still have time to make it to the festival and Sasuke-kun to come with me!" Naruto asked…"So where's our charge?"

Kakashi answered back at Naruto, smiling, "Here!" A man around their age came out from nowhere and greeted them with his hottest smile "Hello! Glad to meet you!"

Sakura was astounded by his hotness. His eyes were brown, he had pearly white teeth and his hair was black,. He came up to Sakura and kissed her forehand.

"Good morning, miss, allow me to introduce myself. I am Otaru Shinami. Who might you be?" He was as hot as Sasuke, and Sakura was about to faint just like any other girl would. She couldn't help but stare at him but finally she answered

"I-I am H-Haruno S-S-Sakura-a" She was blushing furiously. She was observing his features. Sasuke was kind of getting impatient with Otaru and got jealous when he saw Sakura staring at him like there was no tomorrow. Otaru bent down to kiss her forehand and then looked behind Sakura (Who was looking like a tomato already because she was blushing so much)and noticed Sasuke and Naruto standing there and glaring at him. Naruto was so furious at what Otaru just did and shouted "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MY SAKURA! YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"

"Otaru just stood there and suddenly raised his right eyebrow and smiled. He 'casually' answered with his 'casual' tone "Why? is it not right for a man to do this certain gesture to a woman when introducing himself?"

Naruto was speechless. "Whatever, let's just go." Sasuke said in his monotone voice.

They left. As they walked, Sakura was still too shocked, Sasuke just stared at the path in front of him and concentrating on something in his mind, Naruto was still speechless, Otaru was thinking of ways to win Sakura's heart and Kakashi-sensei was reading his perverted book, "Icha-Icha paradise."

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A/N: Pls. tell me if anything was wrong in what i did and review pls! I promise to do whatever i can to update next chappie!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Have fun reading! PLs read my other stories too! don't forget to review afterwards!

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto but having a guy like ...Sasuke along is a whole different story!(grinns)

**Chapter 2**

On their first day of the mission, traveling and traveling. It was kinda quiet. Sir Kakashi was ahead of everyone. Otaru walked beside Sakura and Sasuke and Naruto were behind. Sakura was blushing for a long time and Otaru was smiling at her beauty. Sasuke just looked at them (filled with jealousy, hehehe).Otaru noticed that Sasuke has been staring at him and Sakura since the start of their journey.

He grinned evilishly. (you could tell that he was gonna plan something really evil)

Otaru spoke to Sakura after a long period of silence and said.

"So Sakura, tell me about yourself." Sakura had paid attention to his question and said, while still blushing and looking at the ground.

"Well, um…I'm 13 yrs. old and I like…well, like a lot of stuff, roses, kind people, cute people(She stares at Sasuke, Otaru saw this happened), and l-lots m-more!"

Otaru felt that there was something going on between these two, so he had to keep a close eye on Sasuke. But first, he wanted to test Sasuke. Otaru whispered into Sakura's ear but loud enough for Sasuke to hear.

"So Sakura was it? I never had time to tell you how beautiful your name is and how pretty your eyes looked under the gleaming sunlight." Sakura heard these words. She had never heard such passionate words in her life. She blushed really hard and answered back. "Umm, T-t-thank y-y-you Otaru-kun. Umm…"She decided to play along with Otaru with curiosity of what Sasuke would do."I like your eyes too!" She smiled back at him.

Sasuke felt his heart beating in anger and what's more is that Sakura had just called Otaru-KUN! His eyes widened in shock when he saw what had laid right before his eyes. Otaru has just placed his arm around Sakura's waist. Sakura felt something around her waist and when she peeped to see, it was Otaru's arm! She blushed even more! And so did Sasuke's heart skip a beat when he saw Sakura blush like that.

He was about to say something when suddenly Naruto shouted furiously as he got impatient staring at him in disgust.

"Stop doing that to Sakura-chan! She belongs to me only!(oh, Naruto)"Sakura heard Naruto say this, she got mad at Naruto and stated back at him "Naruto, he hasn't done anything wrong so don't get mad at him and I don't belong to you okay?So stop being cruel to Otaru-kun!"

Sasuke was shocked by her answer, thought he didn't show it while Naruto grumbled and shouted to Otaru "You're just lucky Sakura-chan was there to back you up cuz' if she wasn't I wud've killed you by now."

They have been walking for hours and it was almost night time so they had to set up camp. Naruto went to set-up the tents with Otaru while Sasuke went to get water and logs, Sakura cooked their dinner and Kakashi was just reading his perverted book as always.

When everyone was done doing their assigned task (of course except Kakashi, who didn't do anything at all) they went to eat dinner. Dinner seemed kind of disturbing and ...silent. Naruto kept his eyes on Otaru and Sasuke was just eating his food quietly. Otaru broke the silence, looked at Naruto and said with his oh-so 'casual' tone again "It is very rude for a man to stare at another while eating Naruto."

Naruto got extra pissed at Otaru who was acting like the all high and mighty. Sakura just kept eating her food smiling cheerfully. Otaru broke the silence for the second time saying "Mmmmm...Sakura-san, your food is delicious!"

"Huh?Oh, thanks!"Sakura looked at Otaru,smiled ,and went back to eating her food."Wow,Sasuke would never say something like that to me.Otaru sure is kind.I should pay attention to him often."Sakura thought to herself when she finally finished eating her food.So were the others. It was getting kind of late so they went inside their tents. Sakura had her own tent and so did Sir Kakashi.Otaru, Naruto and Sasuke were sleeping in another tent.

They all went to bed except Sasuke since,you know him. He can't sleep since he always ends up getting nightmares. Sometime later,in the middle of the nightafter everyone was asleep,Sakura woke up and went outside her tent.Sasuke saw her go outside and walk into the woods. He decided to follow her but he had second thoughts because maybe she just wanted to,you know,use a toilet or something(yes,there is no bathroom, I just used that term...sorry for the inconvinience!).But he followed her in case something bad happened to her.

She finally stopped and looked out at the moon and starry night.Sasuke just stared at her and admiring her beauty.Sakura closed her eyes as wind started rustling by, gently.Sasuke stared at her and observed her actions.Her hair swayed at the movement of the wind which made her face more clear to Sasuke since her hair was out of the way and the moonlight was gleaming and touched her face just like the morning awhile ago.Suddenly,Sasuke heard a beautiful voice,a singing one.He tried to find where it was coming from and it was from Sakura.

She sang very beautifully. It was like an angel's voice coming from the heavens above. Sasuke felt very comforting and secure by the flow and harmony of the music. (Just imagine what the song it was that she was singing,I'll let you decide) It was a slow song and it sounded a bit sad yet, left a comfortable feeling to the person. A light breeze swept by again, brushing of the hair of Sakura and made both their hairs sway to the direction of the wind.

Sasuke closed his eyes and concentrated to the song she was singing but suddenly it stopped. He opened his eyes again to see why she had stopped. He saw a group (3,if you read my other fic,a similar thing happened but you can see the slight difference) of men surround her. They started teasing her and kept on saying how weak she looked, which made her really pissed.She got ready with her fighting stance and charged at the guys. She hit the first guy without any drop of sweat at all. The second charged at her but she was able to dodge and stabbed him at the back with his kunai.(she didn't exactly kill him, then again, made him unconcious.

Sasuke just stood there, on the branch he was on, astounded at how fast Sakura was compared to some other times where in they wouldn't really let Sakura in their fights. Maybe that's why he never saw her like this. He just watched her as she pinned the last guy down. After she did, she looked a bit tired so she went back to her tent and slept. Sasuke just watched her fall asleep.

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A/N:Hope you liked it! Sorry for any errors I made.Don't forget to review.SasuSaku forever! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hope you like this chapter! Sasuke is finally falling in love, I hope. Check if he does in this Chapter!

Disclaimer: (Just an FYI, I'm forcefully writing this disclaimer) I do not own...Naruto... (Sobs)

**Chapter 3**

Early in the morning, next day...

"YAWWWNN!" Naruto yawned really loudly as all of them were awake already packing up to leave. They just finished eating their breakfast, which Sakura made and, which Otaru complimented her again and made her blush. Obviously, leaving Sasuke sort of jealous yet mad at Otaru. Only Sasuke knew what happened last night and even Sakura wasn't aware that he was there.

"All set! Let's go!" Naruto shouted to everyone as he grinned and then slouched grouchily since he was still a bit tired. They all set off for River country. They were sort of far though, two more days till they reach it.

The travel was quiet. Naruto kept a good look out at what Otaru was doing. Kakashi was reading his perverted book, Otaru kept on gazing at Sakura once in a while and Sasuke and Sakura were just simply quiet. Then suddenly from out of nowhere, kunai and shurikens were flying towards them. They were all able to dodge it. (Even Otaru)

The enemy finally came out from were they were hiding. They appeared to be missing nins from various countries. Sakura was a bit worried for Otaru since she didn't expect him to be able to protect himself. She didn't know that Otaru was doing just fine on his own. He was actually able to beat 2 of the nins without a scratch. Sakura was paying too much attention to protect Otaru to notice this.

After they beat the nins, the 3 (Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi) of them were wondering how Otaru could have done all he did just now since he was only a civilian. They didn't even bother to ask. Sakura was just relieved he came out alive and in one piece. Otaru just standing there, acting like nothing had just happened.

They started walking in the same position as yesterday and went back to doing what they were doing just a while ago, but Kakashi only pretended to read his book, 'Icha-Icha paradise' to keep a look out on Otaru. The walk was quiet from then, not even Naruto spoke.

They often got attacked that day. Otaru took care of himself the whole time, while Sakura was busy trying her best to protect him, the charge. Once in a while, Sakura would see Otaru beat up some nins. She was quite amazed at him on how he beat them, he was too fast for a person like him. Now, everyone was thinking about how Otaru did all that fighting.

After hours of walking and fighting, they were tired so they decided to set up camp. Sakura cooked again, Sasuke got supplies and Naruto and Otaru set up the tents again while Kakashi read his book and leaned on a tree, as he always does while everyone gets the hard-working labor.

It was sunset already as they finished doing there 'chores'. They were all tired now because Naruto and Otaru always fought since they couldn't work along but Otaru was patient unlike Naruto, who kept on shouting really loudly that Kakashi scolded him because he couldn't concentrate on his book. Sasuke found it really hard to find the supplies they needed and Sakura was tired from everything.

Time was passing by fast for them and soon it was evening once again. They finished eating by then and decided they should go to bed so they all went in their tents already to sleep. That night was beautiful because the moon was out and full, the weather was fine and the wind blew at one direction so the trees and plants sway to follow its direction. It was just like the other night.

Sasuke stayed up again that night for two reasons. One: He knew he would end up waking up again that night, two: He wanted to hear Sakura sing again. (A/N: He likes her voice! Waaa!) Luckily for Sasuke, Sakura did from her tent again and sang. As she went out, she walked to a beautiful spot where the trees surrounded her and the moonlight beamed right above of where she stood.

Sasuke sat on one of the branches of the trees that was in front of her. She closed her eyes and started singing. (I'll leave it up to you to decide on what she was singing) until she sensed a familiar chakra near her. She opened her eyes to see who it was and saw Sasuke sitting on the branch of the tree. 'Oh my God, I wonder how long he's been there.' She thought as Sasuke saw her staring back at him so he jumped of the branch and landed on the ground.

"Sa—Sasuke-kun!... What are you doing here!" Sakura stared at him from a far since he was still a few meters away from her.

"I always end up waking up from my sleep because of my nightmares of Itachi. Then I heard a voice coming from here, so I followed it and ended up here." He lied to her but he didn't want her to know why he was really there so he didn't have a choice.

'So I guess he was here ever since I started. That's too bad for him that he couldn't sleep. I never knew that. I wish there was something I could do for him to help him somehow…hmmm…' Sakura was thinking of a way to Sasuke in order for him to sleep. The both just stared at each other as the wind came rushing by slowly and calmly making the trees. It was really silent for all you can hear is the rustling of trees. Sakura's face lit up.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, do you want me to sing you to sleep? I mean, I'm not forcing you or anything." Sakura thought the idea was kind of silly but she tried her best to smile. She looked like she was about to cry though but she covered her face with some of her pink locks that were dangling near her face already. Sasuke thought about it for a while, 'I guess it won't be so bad I she does. Besides, her voice is beautiful.' He finally decided and answered with his monotone that hindered his feelings.

"Fine." He sat down and leaned on the tree behind him. Sakura walked closer to him and sat beside him. She started to sing a slow and relaxing song. Sasuke found the flow of the song really soothing and her voice was soft and gentle to the ears. He closed his eyes as the wind was blowing their hair away from their faces, behind them. Before he knew it, he drowsily but lightly, fell on Sakura's lap. Sakura stopped singing to see why her lap had suddenly felt something on it, and was surprised to see raven hair and pale skin laying there.

She tugged on a smile on her lips as she stared at the Uchiha dreamingly. She stroked her fingers along Sasuke's hair and putting them between her fingers back and fourth. She started singing again from where she had left of from a while ago.

They both eventually fell asleep at the spot on the same position, Sasuke resting his head on Sakura's lap while Sakura leaned on the tree, smiling. The wind swept by and the moon still shone beautifully , making it a bit cold yet the warmth the two shared swathe each other, keeping them warm and comfortable.

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A/N: I hope you liked this! I really like this chapter but I made them sound like a mom and child but anyways! I still find it sweet. Sorry if you didn't like it and sorry I took long. Pls. don't forget to review : P


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: My cousin helped me in this chapter. Her username is **xelagirl2. **Well have fun reading this! Just so you know, if ever I put the words 'pa', 'na' or something like that, it's tagalog (Philippine language) and not a grammatical error. Thanks for the past reviews too!

Disclaimer: (I have grown to respect this) I do not own Naruto and its characters but my characters only (Otaru and maybe some other people).

**Chapter 4 **

The birds chirped for the good and bright morning. The sun was rising and team7 were still fast asleep but one, who was awake already. Sasuke was training in the forest, close by the campsite. He stopped to rest for awhile and rested on the tree. He took a sip from the water bottle he had with him.

'Kuso! I actually let my guard and because of…Sakura.' An image of Sakura appeared in his head. The time when she was early on the day before, and the times in the midnight and the time she…sang.

**Flashback (The time when he woke up from last night)**

Sasuke felt something soft that his head was leaning on. He had just woke up from the night before. He opened his eyes and slowly got up, only to see that his face was really close to Sakura's. It was still very early in the morning and no one was awake.

He stared at her for awhile and blushed. She was really beautiful, her skin looked porcelain and touchable. Her lips looked soft and Sasuke just couldn't help and stare at her.

'She looks so innocent and her lips are so…snap out of it! I'm an avenger and only want to kill my brother.' Sasuke thought of this inside his head as he stood up and stopped blushing. All the things that happened last night flooded back in Sasuke's head.

The time when Sakura sang for him that night, he smiled at the thought. Once he stood up, he looked at Sakura's innocent face, which was smiling, and smiled. Then he left to train.

**End of Flashback **

He was finished training so he went back to the campsite. Naruto and Otaru were awake already.

Sakura steadily opened her eyelids and saw the trees surrounding her. 'Where am I? What am I doing here?' She tried to remember what happened on the night before. 'Oh, right. I sang Sasuke to sleep…Where is he?'

Sakura got up from her leaning position and stood up to walk back to the campsite. As Sakura came back, Naruto was kind of worried at her and so was Otaru. Kakashi was too busy reading his Icha-Icha paradise, to notice Sakura being gone. When she arrived at the campsite, she saw Sasuke sitting under a shady tree.

The tents were all packed up already. Otaru and Naruto approached her as she arrived and began to ask her confusing questions.

"Sakura-chan, daijoubu desu ka? Where did you go?"

"Oh, me? I…uh…" She looked at Sasuke, who stared back at her, and then recalled what happened on the night before. She turned back at Naruto and Otaru to answer the question. She didn't feel like telling them the truth.

"I just went around looking for…supplies." She answered back with an unsure tone, making it sound like it was all a lie. Naruto stared at her at first but immediately believed her. Otaru was now more suspicious of Sakura and Sasuke, he thought of a plan. He wanted to find out if they both have been really going out together or something.

"Okay then, Sakura-chan." They both left her for awhile to look for around in case they forgot something, before they left. Sakura just stood their then sighed in relief. 'That was close. Hmm…Sasuke-kun.' She looked at Sasuke as he leaned on the tree and closed his eyes. Though, he could feel that Sakura was looking at him. He just smirked.

Sakura admired how he looked and blushed a bit. Once she remembered the happenings before, little by little, she smiled and blushed as red as a tomato. 'I can't believe I did that last night. I wonder how he feels about it.' Sakura thought quietly in her head as she just gazed her eyes on the raven-haired shinobi.

'I can't believe I did that. I wonder what she---' Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted by some shouting from Naruto.

"Hoy! Kakashi-sensei! Stop reading that perverted book of yours and let's go!" He shouted at his teacher as he was getting really impatient with his sensei.

"Hai-hai, I'm coming already. Sheesh Naruto, you're gonna brake my ear drums." Kakashi told back as his reply, as he stood up and started the walk. Everyone followed after. Sasuke couldn't stop thinking about what happened which caused him to look at Sakura once in awhile.

She was also quite deep in thought as she kept smiling. She would fix her eyes on Sasuke once in awhile too. The arrangement was: Kakashi was at the front since he was the one who started and everyone else was in a straight line. (In order: Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Otaru)

While Sakura kept moving her eyes back and forth to look at Sasuke and turn away, she stopped once her emerald orbs met with onyx ones. They stared at each other's orbs for awhile, being absent from the really world. They both blushed a little (very slight tint only), while still gazing.

Naruto was too busy to notice this (he was complaining with his outmost annoying voice ever, which irritated Kakashi and Otaru). Kakashi noticed that his two other shinobis were quiet so he began to wonder why. He peeped over his shoulder and couldn't believe that **THE** Uchiha Sasuke was blushing. A light chuckle came out of him as he turned around to look forward. Sasuke realized what he was doing so he turned away and did his infamous smirk. Sakura saw this and turned away too. They both stopped blushing but kept walking.

Sakura pictured his expression from their battle of the gaze, and smiled. Sasuke saw the smile and somehow, it made him smile too. (Aaw! XD) Secretly, Otaru saw the whole thing. He wasn't really paying any attention to Naruto, instead, pretended to. 'I knew it! Well, by the time we reach the country, they'll know the truth about me and Sakura will surely fall for me.' He said in his head as he grinned evilishly. Time past by quickly and it was soon dawn.(Woah! Time sure flies fast when you're in love…yup, I think they are so called 'in love', already, hehe)

As they were walking, Kakashi assigned them to their different responsibilities. Everyone did the same tasks as the days before. Sakura cooked and was in charge of their firewood; Sasuke was assigned to getting the ingredients and supplies; Naruto and Otaru were assigned to fixing the tents; Kakashi (assigned himself, I think) was reading his perverted book while leaning on a tree. (A/N: Nice task he has…compared to the others…oh, except the part that the book is perverted. I think I like fanfics better especially SASUSAKU, anyway…)

There were some complaints by Naruto (saying that his back ached or something like that), but once Kakashi tried to threaten Naruto by offering a job to rub his back, Naruto immediately shut up and stopped complaining. The rest of the day passed by quickly, and then it started to rain.

"Naruto, Otaru, hurry up with the tents! Sakura, hurry up with the wood and food! Sasuke, come back ASAP once you are done." Kakashi ordered the four.

"Hai, right away Kakashi-sensei!" The three said in unison. Otaru just nodded. (He did not address Kakashi as sensei)

Sasuke and Sakura were still gone to do their tasks. Sasuke was hunting inside a cave while Sakura was getting wet under the rain to look for firewood. They both returned within an hour. After they finished their tasks, they went to eat the food Sakura cooked and after, went to bed. Sakura once again woke up in the middle of the night to sing.

As she sang, she started to cough. It got worse as she almost fainted. Thankfully, Sasuke was there, as he would for the past nights, and notice her fall so he ran to catch her.

"Sakura, daijoubou?"

"Sasuke!...arigatou…I'm okay now." She answered back as she got up from those muscular arms of Sasuke's and stood up. She looked kind of drunk since she wobbled a bit but then it turned better after.

"It's getting late Sakura…you should get to bed…"

"Okay. Sasuke-kun, let's go." so both walked back to the campsite, hand-in-hand.

A figure behind a tree saw everything that happened just now, between the two. 'So that's what he does every night with Sakura.' It was Otaru. This was sort of his plan…to spy on them. He can't believe that a thick block of ice, (Sasuke) actually…cares for Sakura. (Nobody believes anymore…sigh). He followed the two back to the campsite as quietly as possible as not to be spotted.

Sakura entered her tent and Sasuke stayed outside as always. As Sasuke stood outside, he saw Otaru come out of the bushes and smirk.

"Where have you been?"(Otaru speaking)

"I should be asking you the same question."

"You'll know later. It is so late. Don't you ever sleep? I noticed that you don't sleep at all."

"It's none of your business." Otaru ignored what he said and kept pushing on.

"You were with Sakura, weren't you?"

"What makes you think I was!"

"You know, Sakura has such a pretty voice. Too bad she stopped her song because she started to cough. Good thing though…you were there to catch her." Sasuke's eyes widened and then glared at Otaru.

"You--"

**Sakura's POV **

'Oh, I forgot to say good night to Sasuke-kun!' Sakura got up from her sleeping bag and left her tent. She heard Sasuke and Otaru almost shouting at each other and yelling. Naruto didn't wake up though. (Major deep sleeper, he is)

'I wonder what they are arguing about.' She hid behind the bush and listened closely to their argument.

"DO you actually care for Sakura?" (Otaru speaking) Sakura froze when she heard Otaru asked that question to…Sasuke.

"What makes you think I do? She is so weak and annoying! She is just like my other fan girls who always chase me everywhere…they bother me too much!"

"I see…" He glared at Sasuke and was half as much, surprised, as Sakura was by his answer. It felt reasonable to him. He just nodded his head then went inside the tent. Sasuke just stood there, expressionless. He stared at blank space then to the stars. The raven-haired boy leaned on a tree and closed his eyes.

Sakura just stayed in her position, all shocked and sad at the same time. 'Is that what Sasuke-kun really thinks about me? Annoying and…weak?' She was at the verge of crying already. Something deep in her heart hurt so much. The pang stayed and stabbed her heart, making it feel shattered to a million pieces. The tears never came out as Sakura tried to be as strong as she can.

Quietly as she could, she ran back to her tent. No one saw her, not even Sasuke. There, she silently cried. Tears rolling down her cheeks as her heart hurt more. Right now, she was in a confused matter and didn't feel like doing anything else in her life at that precise moment but cry. She knew she wasn't strong enough, as Sasuke had said just now. The tears in her was too much and too hard to keep in. The night passed as Sakura cried herself to sleep.

A/N: Liked it? Sorry for the following late replies. Pls review!

**ForbiddenHeartz**: I know that it was sort of a motherly thing for Sakura to sing Sasuke to sleep in that other chappie, but I find it kind of sweet.

**Kawaii-Hisui: **Hehe, Glad to hear I actually taught you something. I remember that fic you made…um…'No tomorrow'. I liked it. Pls. update that soon.

**Takai**: Sorry if my fic ain't so satisfying and I'll try to stop using hot or hotness much.

**Princess Sakura Haruno**: Go Philippines! I can't believe you made takas, anyway. Sorry for my late reply.

**Lightningedge**: What do you mean Sasuke was a little bit OC? (Sorry, I'm new here…)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Have fun! By the way, I know that the River country is where the Akatsuki is found, but it's a fanfic I made. So, forget the Akatsuki thing. I just needed a country. Damn it! I knew I should have used my own country name but no! ...I just had to--….woops! Speaking out loudly again! Hehe…sori.

Disclaimer: Same old, same old…

Early morning, as the birds chirped, a blonde shinobi with a loud voice, yawned and groggily got up from his sleeping bag. Naruto looked around and saw that he was the only one inside. When he went outside, everyone was awake, just hanging around, lifelessly.

"Hey, guys! What's for breakfast?" Everyone didn't seem to be as happy as usual. Otaru was in deep thought as everyone else, as he sat on a dead log. Kakashi was reading his Icha-icha paradise but this time, he didn't really give a chuckle or at least smile. Well, Naruto could have sworn beneath that mask of his that he wasn't smiling at all.

Sasuke just leaned on a tree, like he did the day before and Sakura, well, she was sitting on the opposite direction of where Otaru was sitting. Not smiling at all. All she did was sit, think and breathe. Her emerald orbs looked kind of dull, enough to make people worry for her. Naruto wondered what was happening and scratched the back of his head.

"Oy! Hello people! What's wrong with you guys? I bet you feel bad for having breakfast without me." None of them even took time to glance at him.

"Shut up dope. Who cares if we had breakfast without you?"

"What did you say Sasuke-bastard!"

"Sasuke, don't be so cruel to Naruto-kun. Don't worry Naruto, I saved you some food." The pink haired kunoichi spoke up after her period of silence.

The statement left everyone in shock. First is, Sakura actually called Sasuke by Sasuke with no –kun. Next is the way she gave away the –kun to Naruto. Sasuke felt a bit heart-broken. It made him want to cry but, then again, Sasuke is a guy, and a strong person who hides his feelings inside himself. Naruto felt quite proud because it was the first time Sakura stood up for him. And to think, it was over Sasuke.

"Here you go, Naruto-kun." She handed him some left over wrapped in banana leaf.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan!"

"Well then? What are we waiting for? The sooner we leave, the earlier we arrive at the country." With that, they packed the tents and left. They finally reached the borders of the country by sundown.

They were greeted by awfully a lot of people…too much people. In fact, practically the whole town's people were in the entrance to greet them. Some even threw flowers as they passed through the gates. The team found this kinda awkward and unusual. Otaru took this very nicely. As they passed, the girls, who were a lot like Sasuke's fan girls, fainted once the sight of Otaru reached their eyes.

The four stopped as they reached a certain part of the village entrance, where a group a knights on horses, appeared in front of them.

"Good afternoon, your highness. We have been expecting your arrival." A knight said. To Sakura, he looked like their leader. The knights bowed at Otaru, which Otaru bowed back.

"Is my father here?" The knight shook his head, meaning to say a 'yes'.

"Let us go. He is waiting for you." The four travelers followed the four knights. They were lead to an outstanding view. Something all of them have never seen before. It was a castle. Made of the finest white brick, it is as tall as the rocky-figure heads of the past Hokages of Konoha. It was on a elevated part of the village, making it look taller than any other.

There was a scenic view behind, with a pond and other various things. There were too many to describe. It left team 7 in awe. Yet, they still all pondered about what was happening. All of them were so clueless about the weird behaviors of the town's people and the knights. They entered the castle, in wait of the answers for their questions.

In The Castle…

Sakura really found the inside as beautiful as the outside of it. There were chandeliers hanging here and there. The carpeting and the wallpapers were astounding and rare. As they entered a room, there sat a man, who looked much like Otaru, but had a thick mustache and he was had longer hair that reached below his shoulders. He wore a red coat made of fine silk, and a white robe inside.

'That must be his father…' Thoughts in Sakura, were all swirled up in the beauty of the place and her surrounding.

"Ah! Otaru, my boy! You have finally arrived." The elderly form of Otaru, spoke up. Otaru approached him, and was greeted with a warm, caring hug.

"I'm home father. Father, I want to introduce to you the people who have brought me here all the way from Konoha." As they let go, Otaru turned around and introduced the four to his father.

"This is Naruto." Naruto grinned at the father of Otaru.

"This is Sasuke." Sasuke just nodded in acknowledgement.

"This is Sakura." She curtsied respectfully and regained her standing figure.

"This is their sensei, Kakashi." Kakashi just smiled.

"Such nice people. Well, I thank you for bringing my son back safely. You must stay for awhile. It is our way of gratitude. You all must be really tired."

"I guess we can stay for awhile. We appreciate your kindness." The silver-haired jounin said with much gratitude.

'No, the festival. Wait a second. Sasuke doesn't even like me so, why should I care?' Her thoughts saddened herself, as she looked down on the floor in melancholy. A raven-haired boy immediately took notice of this reaction of hers.

'What's with Sakura today? She has been acting so odd lately.' Sasuke thought.

"Great! You are free to go around the castle and tour if you want. Just inform me when you leave. We will also be holding a festival soon. Enjoy your stay." After this, he signaled one of their maids to lead them to their rooms.

The five of them left. Otaru came along with them, just in case of anything. They reached their rooms but didn't really go inside just yet. Instead, they all looked at each other together, then at Otaru. A bead of sweat-drop fell at the back of Otaru's head.

"I'm guessing you want some explanations, huh?" He smiled at them, but they returned his innocence with glares.

"Okay, I get the point…" He sighed, but eventually proceeded. "I'm…a prince…"

A/N: Liked it? Pls. don't forget to review. Well, at least the cat's out of the bag! Now you know who Otaru really is, After a long time of cliffhanger. But this story hasn't ended just yet. I just realized how many mistakes I made for this story so far. For those who are currently fans of my other fic, sorry but I'm going to concentrate on this one first.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hope you like it! Thanks for past reviews.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 6

The sun was setting and it was soon evening, as a prince and three shinobis were having a talk inside the beautiful castle. As Otaru spoke, team7 was left speechless. But they were still paying close attention to the prince.

"I am of royal blood. And so is my sister…wait…Did I tell you guys that I have a sister?" He waited for their reply. They just replied with a nod, looking like idiots for being so clueless about everything.

"I'm actually 14 and my sister is 13, your age. My mom passed away…" There was a moment of silence for awhile as he spoke again. "…when I was small. She died in a plane crash 2 years ago. The family Shinami, has been ruling this country for the past centuries and seems like I'm going to be the next in line to inherit the throne. Which means that…" He glanced at Sakura who was still baffled by everything.

Sasuke saw the glance he gave and shot a mysterious glare that looked like an evil one. "…Never mind. Do you want me to tour you around?" He offered but none of them spoke…until Naruto screamed.

"S-so…you are a prince?" He even did hand figures as he asked, a funny look to add up to that. Otaru shook his head up and down.

"COOL! So I'm supposing that you have lots of food cause I'm starving!" Sakura's vein twitched, as she was irritated at the unruly and rude Naruto.

"Naruto-baka ne! Don't be so rude." Naruto received a bonk in the head, by Sakura. This caused Otaru to give out a stifle laugh.

"Don't worry, Sakura-san. Naruto can have the food he wants. We have different types of food here. One of their best here is the Sichuan Cuisine. Wanna eat now?" Sakura gave an innocent smile while Naruto nodded his head up and down with joy.

"Okay then, let's go." He said as he led them to the dining room. There were a lot of butlers, maids and chandeliers. In the middle of the room, there was a long table that might be as long as railroad tracks, according to Naruto.

Once they reached the place, Naruto gave 'Oo! Wow! Or Cool!'. Sakura was astounded by the beauty as she roamed around the humungous room. Sasuke just smirked inwardly and Kakashi just stood their and gave a grin.

All of them settled down at one side of the very long table, Otaru at the very end, Sakura on his right hand and Naruto on his left. Kakashi sat beside Sakura and Sasuke was opposite direction of Kakashi. (Sorry its quite confusing, hehe)

The maids came and gave them their food as they, one by one, came with food carts and trays. Without delay, Naruto digged in his food like a dog, who hasn't eaten in days. On the other hand, Sakura was very lady-like and respectful. She even placed the napkin properly on her lap, before she began to eat.

The prince crossed his fingers together and placed his elbows on the table. Like Sasuke's position in school, except Otaru put his forehand under his chin, as he tried his best not to stare and admire Sakura as she ate.

"This is so good!" Sakura squealed in delight as Naruto gave a small nod, while sloppily eating the food.

Seeing Otaru look at Sakura like that, made Sasuke's appetite spoil. He wasn't in the mood to eat anymore so he stood up. This caught the attention of everyone and made them look at him, with confused looks on their faces. Naruto had strands of noodles and sauce over his mouth as he stared at the Uchiha.

"I'm not hungry." It was more like a whisper. With that, he left the room. It left the people in the room a bit shocked yet, they did know Sasuke, he's always like that.

After the dinner, they all went back to their rooms since it was getting late. Otaru was called by his father so he left to go to him.

"Otaru, you the reason I called you here is because…" The king paused for awhile to look at his son, straight in the eye.

"…well, you know you are in the next line for the throne. And as every descendant of the Shinami, you must…" A nod was all the king got from his son.

"Father, I understand, I already chose one. She will be a perfect queen." The king just smiled in his approval.

About 9:00pm, Sakura woke up and didn't feel so tired, so she got up from her bed and roamed around for awhile. She went to the back of the castle, where there was a big lake that reflected the moon's beam. The trees surrounded it and the air was moist as it swept by.

This time reminded her of the time she was with Sasuke and all that singing. But…

"_What makes you think I do? She is so weak and annoying! She is just like my other fan girls who always chase me everywhere…they bother me too much!"_

The kunoichi crouched down, under a tree and hugged her legs. As she did, she fell in deep thought.

"I know I'm just a burden to you. I'm sorry…" A whisper, like the wind, came out of her mouth. While she did this, a boy was there watching. The whisper that came out of her breathe, is what he barely heard as he approached her. Once Sakura saw the shadow hover over her, she looked up.

"O—Your highness…"

A/N: Like it? Pls. review. There is no Sasusaku part here so sorry. I know it was sudden that Otaru was a prince, but don't you think that everything pointed out that he was a prince. I mean, he is hot, his respect, his strength. It was unnatural for a simple civilian to have these traits and princes should be strong to be able to defend his country.

I have so much stuff to do! And the project!…Oh my God, the projects. Where do I start? Sorry for all the major cliffhangers, but beware!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hope you like this chappie! Sorry for all taglish, grammatical and typographical errors.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and it's characters but my own characters only. If I did own Naruto, I would make it a Sasusaku all the way!

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**Chapter7**

The perfect sight of the moon and stars are reflecting down upon a lake, where a pink-haired kunoichi stood. Softly, the wind swept by, brushing of that pink hair of hers', off her face. The young prince, Otaru chuckled slightly at her.

"Oh, Sakura, you don't have to call me that. I don't mind if you just call me by my name…Anyway, I like how you say it." His tone turned into a seductive one. Sakura couldn't help but blush.

"…um…okay, Otaru-kun. So, why are you here?" The voice she let out was quite shivery because she wasn't sure of what to do in front of a prince. This was her first time you know.

"I should be asking you the same question. It is too cold for a very beautiful person like you to be outside." The thought about the part when he referred to her as beautiful made her blush again.

"I-I couldn't sleep, that's all. How about you?" She stammered.

" Well, I needed sometime alone with you and now I spotted you here. I have been meaning to ask you a question for a time now. Ever since I first saw you, I found you really pretty and all those things you did are amazing. And…what I want to say is…Sakura,…" He paused and examined her reaction as he knelt down in front of her.

There stood a velvet, small box, in the middle of his palms. Inside was a beautiful ring made out of gold with little gems and other various colors of rocks stuck on to it. It glistened and shimmered into Sakura's orbs. The design was complicated, and in the middle of it was a humungous diamond that stood out.

Sakura was speechless and couldn't move at all. She felt the world freeze right at that exact moment. After, Otaru continued.

"…Will you marry me? I know it is a bit sudden but, I know I've chosen the right girl to be with for all my life. It is a tough decision to make and I am not forcing you to but whenever I'm with you, I feel very different." Yet, the kunoichi couldn't speak at all.

"…er…w-well…I'm just 13 O-Otaru-kun!..." Was all she answered for she was unsure of what to do or say.

"I know and I'm only 14. But I haven't hesitated to ask you. We will get married when we are older…if you accept, of course. Though, you have to stay here and give up on being a ninja. It is your laws right? You will also help me rule this country. So, do you accept?..." They both stayed in that position for a very long time, nobody spoke or uttered a single word. Trees that danced were all you could hear. Before Sakura could answer, there was a big explosion that came from the village.

"I'm sorry. We'll have to finish later then. But I will be waiting for your answer." With that, he left. Sakura froze for a while, and then realized what was happening, the village was under attack. So she followed where the explosion came from. Once she reached there, her team mates were already there, battling.

Even Sasuke…

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A/N: I find the last part awkward well, just don't mind that part. Did you like it? Pls. R&R. I know that proposal was too quick and stuff but Sakura has to decide. I mean she likes Otaru and all, maybe even better than Sasuke. I mean think of it. Sasuke is cruel and even said that he found Sakura weak and annoying while Otaru was sweet and caring. It is a very tough decision for Sakura because she will have to quit being a ninja and live in the River country. (It really is their law, for the girls to quit being ninjas so they can concentrate on their new life…um…you know what I mean) 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for your past reviews and so for my other fic. Sorry the other one is so short; I can't think straight right now. It's not straight enough to think of what will happen next in this fic…okay…that sounded kinda awkward, anyway. Have fun!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters but my own characters only.

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The whole town was in chaos; people were screaming from everywhere, there was smoke from the explosion awhile ago. Sasuke, Naruto, Otaru, and Sakura were battling against the intruders that came into the village. All in all, the enemy was equal in amount, to the people they were up against. Including the king himself, was in the battle field with his daughter, Tai.

"Naruto, Sakura, you take care of the towns people. Make sure they're safe." Sasuke said to the two of his team mates. The two just nodded for reply and quickly left the battle field to do their task. Kakashi was in battle on the other side with the others. Now, it was only Otaru and Sasuke against some of the nins.

"Good luck Sasuke." He teased to Sasuke as they both started battling. The Uchiha just gave his infamous smirked and then replied back.

"You're the on who needs the luck, your highness." He teased back. Both of them were doing quite well with their battle.

For Naruto and Sakura, they were busy handling the people. Some really didn't pay attention to them much, no matter how many times they told the townspeople not to scream and rush, they still did. Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke and Otaru fighting. 'Oh Sasuke, be careful…'

For where Kakashi was battling together with the king and princess, it was going well. Tai was a good fighter, and as quick as her father was too. Her weapon was a bow and arrows. The princess has green, braided hair that went a centimeter above her waist. It was braided by a yellow ribbon. Whenever there would be shurikens or kunai coming her way, she would be able to easily dodge it. You could say that her skills were like Sakura's, but Sakura was still better.

King Shinami was a good fighter too. The moon and stars of that night, gave enough light for all of them to see. Knights and swordsmen were there fighting by their side, and so far, they were winning. Actually, they already out numbered their opponent.

Back to Sasuke and Otaru, almost all of the enemies were beaten up. Kunai and shurikens came flying towards Otaru but he easily dodged it. He pulled out a sword and lunged it at the nin who threw the kunai and shurikens. While Sasuke had his sharingen activated, he used his fireball technique at the enemy, making them get knocked out.

As Otaru observed carefully at what the Uchiha was doing, he also noticed his eyes were…red with black swirls. 'So there's more to the story, huh? I'll just ask about that later…' Were the first thoughts that came in his head once he noticed this. The urge to blurt out the issue about Sakura, was what Otaru really wanted to do in front of Sasuke as they battled.

Without breaking a sweat, Sasuke and Otaru were done. And once the townspeople were in a safe spot, Sakura and Naruto were going back to where Sasuke and Otaru were, so were Kakashi and the others. Once they all met, the king was very much pleased with what they all did.

"Thank you very much! I'm very much in debt for what you have been doing for our country." Team7 hardly had any scratch on them, especially since Sakura and Naruto got an easy task.

"Oh, no. It's our job to protect people, that's all." Their perverted teacher answered as he placed his and behind his head.

The village was a wreck but not that much but only because of the big explosion caused by the enemy awhile ago. When it ended, villagers came out from where they were hiding and cheered. Everyone smiled, of course, except Sasuke, who kept his cool. After everything, (healing, restoring town) the royal family and team7 went back into the palace.

Sasuke strolled around the palace for awhile and reached their garden. In the middle was a fountain with crystal blue water on it. There were also benches, where Sasuke sat down to relax. Out of nowhere, Otaru came with his little sister, Tai. It looked like she had a bit interest at Sasuke, just looking at her expression when she saw him.

"Oh, Sasuke…you are here." Otaru was surprised as he said this. No reply came from Sasuke. All he did was quietly sat there. Tai just stared at him, dreamingly. Though, she tried her best not to act so weird around him.

"Hn." Is what he replied afterwards. This made Otaru fidget a bit because of Sasuke's rudeness to a prince and princess. Although he wanted to hit him really hard, he tried his best to suppress it, but found another way to get back at him.

"I forgot to introduce you to my beloved sister, Tai. Tai, Sasuke. Sasuke, Tai." Still he was, Sasuke didn't even nod. Tai smiled at him but saw that he didn't smile back, and so she got pissed…VERY pissed.

The very pissed princess approached the silent Sasuke and did the least thing a princess would do…flirt and sweet talk. (Actually, according to me, princesses should NEVER flirt…especially to someone they hardly know) A bead of sweat drop, fell on Otaru's head.

"Sasuke-kun! Come on, don't be mean to me!"

She gave him her most cutest and innocent look, which did not affect Sasuke one bit. In fact, he was pissed at the innocent-looking princess. Deep inside of Sasuke, wanted to hit her real hard. Seeing the oh-so-pissed-off look at Sasuke's face, Otaru had a slight feeling that there was something bad that was gonna happen to his sister so he made up his best excuse for his beloved sister to leave.

"…Er…Tai-san, can you please leave for awhile? I need to speak to Sasuke-san, alone." There was a hint of seriousness in the last word of his sentence that made Tai leave them.

"What?" Sasuke finally looked up and said something after his long-term silence.

"Now that we are alone, Sasuke-san, it's about last night." His eyes turned quite stern, and so did his voice. Again, Sasuke didn't reply, but turned serious too, when he heard that it was about last night.

"Did you really mean what you said last night? I need you to be very honest about this."

"Why should I tell you? What if I said I was telling the truth?"

"You were then? Good because I asked Sakura to…" There was something coming up that Sasuke couldn't make out of this seriousness, until the words were said."…marry me…"

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A/N: R&R. No school tomorrow! Word just came out today. I'll see if I can continue this fic tomorrow. Anyway, hope you liked this chappie! Till then… 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hope you like this chapter! I know I took kinda long in updating…well, thanks for waiting. I am getting better at story-writing now anyway, compared to before. Sorry again for all grammatical and typographical errors. Did I mention I'm new at this thing?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters but my characters only. (Otaru, Tai, the king, and maybe others…)

* * *

The sun bloomed out in the sky. Birds chirped on tree branches and the weather was comforting. For some, it was a great day to relax and enjoy life. For others, well…let's just say they woke up at the wrong side of the bed.

"Darn that Otaru! Who does he think he is…asking Sakura to marry him? As if she is really going to say 'yes'…or will she?" A conspicuous raven haired shinobi murmured, as he walked in the hall ways of the huge castle.

Everyone at that morning was called for a meeting with the king. It was still quite early but they had to get up. According to Kakashi, it was their way of giving their respect and gratitude to the king for all he has done…yeah right! As if he would get up so early just to give some whatever kind respect and gratitude to---Ahem. Right, well, back to the story.

Once he arrived at the meeting room, Sasuke saw a loud-mouthed Naruto, shouting right at Otaru's ear, a sick and pitiful-looking Otaru, and a beautiful Sakura. He just stood there, with his cool-looking attitude. Somehow, it didn't affect Sakura anymore. Today, she looked like she was in the room, but her spirit flew somewhere else.

Nobody noticed it much but Sasuke, the moment he entered the room. Her eyes stared at one place, for about the longest period on earth. 'Maybe it was about the time when Otaru…proposed to her…' He thought silently.

_**FLASHBACK**_

"_WHAT?---You proposed to her! She hardly even knows you!" Sasuke snapped back at Otaru. At that moment, he lost all his pride and cool but it didn't matter to him. The only thing that did was the idea of Otaru, getting married to Sakura…HIS Sakura. _

"_Yeah, I told her that already. It happened before the battle." Otaru answered back, smirking. _

"_So what did she say?" You could sense that Sasuke was really serious. His eyes and face told everything off. _

"_She was actually speechless. Since I heard the explosion, she didn't have time to answer, so I told her to wait. I'm guessing that she will give the answer tomorrow."_

_Hearing this, Sasuke stood up and glared at Otaru. His face darkened a bit as he left. The prince was felt fond of seeing Sasuke like this, especially over a girl. He thought that he was one of those types that didn't like to be bugged by girls but seeing what just happened, he might've changed his mind by now._

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

Sasuke knew that Kakashi wasn't going to come so they had to fill in for him. Just then, the king, along with his daughter Tai, came in. He had a cheerful smile that day, which made Naruto kind of curious. Naruto was the only one who reacted that way since everyone knew what was coming, except him.

"Good morning everyone. Sorry you had to wake up early. Tonight is the festival night so I tried to persuade Kakashi to stay for one last night so you wouldn't miss this. Thankfully, he gave in. anyway, I am not sure if my son has told you about this, but…" He looked at his son then turned to Sakura. A smile was put on his face as he continued.

"…Otaru has proposed to Ms. Haruno and she will be giving her answer tonight."

Everyone just stared to the new couple. Of course, Naruto was the most surprised since he was the last to know. Sakura wondered what Sasuke's reaction was so she looked over her shoulder to look at the Uchiha. As always, there was a blank look on his face.

"That is all! Have fun later on youngins!" Otaru went with his father as they exited the room. The rest headed for their rooms. Tai just went along with them. It was awkwardly quiet on the trip back. When they reached their rooms, Naruto blurted out abruptly and loudly.

"Sakura-chan, don't accept that proposal! He could be cheating on you, you will never know---" Before he even started, Sakura was already in her room. Tai thought this was her chance, so she said something to Sasuke.

"Do you want to go with me to the festival later, Sasuke-kun?" She placed her most innocent look as she asked the silent Sasuke. His monotone-voice answered her as he stepped in his room.

"Whatever." He didn't really care.

"Yay!" Her voice could be heard anywhere in the castle. Naruto couldn't believe that a girl like her would actually have a louder voice than he did.

He opened the door to his room, just like the others. Tai just merrily skipped back to her room.

* * *

Inside the kunoichi's room, the confused girl lay on her bed. Her hair spread all over the bed as she rested her head on the pillow. She was so confused. The thoughts in her head swirled and went to different directions. She felt like crying so much.

'What should I do? If I accept, I won't be coming back to Konoha. If I accept, I won't…ever see my friends again.' She felt little wet droplets crawl down her cheeks. It was like each droplet that fell was like the rain.

When she got up from her bed, she approached her closet. She opened the doors and pulled out a red kimono. The kimono had some markings with dark and gold color on it. It was to be worn by Sakura for the festival later on. The beautiful garment was from the royal family…Tai's actually. They lent it to her so she had something nice to wear later on.

Sakura held it close to her body, as if she was already wearing it. She let out a sigh as she hanged it back in the closet.

'I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't even care the least bit about you. I mean, did you see his face awhile ago? It had an 'I-don't-care' look written all over it.' Sakura's inner voice spoke up. Her face darkened at the statement. Tears fell once more.

'Yeah, your right! But…' She paused to think deeper. '…I don't know why I still feel this way…'

Hours passed and it was soon time to leave for the festival. Sakura locked herself in the room, skipping all events that occurred outside. The maids tried to get her to eat, but she said she kept on saying that she wasn't hungry.

The truth was, the whole time she was inside, she thought about her answer. She cried her self to sleep momentarily but woke up just in time. When she woke up, she slipped in her kimono, which fit perfectly. She tied her hair into a bun and stared at the figure that reflected her image. Her precious looking smile was tugged on as she stared.

"I finally decided!...I just want you to know that…whatever I decided upon, you would forgive me….Thank you."

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A/N: R&R Pls! Hope you like it! Sorry it took so long for me to update. My internet broke down on me so I had to use an internet café. T.Y! 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you for supporting this story! I finally ended my first fic!(excluding the one-shot) Finally…Lets go of keyboard and stretches…then yawns Yeah, this is the final chappie!sniff I want to thank all the little people I stepped on to get here!...just joking! I want to thank all those of you, who reviewed and supported this fic. T.Y. If you have any question…see if I answered them in my Bio, although I might be too tired to type it, I will try my best! sniff...(100x)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters, Masashi Kishimoto does…and I thank him for creating such a beautiful fic…I mean story...I mean anime…yeah! (Thank you!)

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**CHAPTER 10-FINALE**

Crowds of people gathered at the town square to chat, gossip and do whatever they want. A festival was being held now, at that place, so people from here and there, danced and cheered. The beautiful view of the sunset was showing directly at the west of the village.

Together with Otaru, Sakura skipped down the crowds of people. The two have been together for an hour already, spending time together in preparation of Sakura's decision. She had to tell him soon but Otaru didn't want to rush Sakura so he waited.

But Otaru and Sakura weren't the only ones who went to the fair, Sasuke, Naruto and Tai went too. The three of them had their reasons. Naruto came because he wanted to spy on Sakura and Otaru, Tai came to spend time with her crush, Sasuke, and Sasuke…well, he came because they forced him to. Even though they forced him to come, he was glad he came because he had a feeling that something was going to happen.

When the three of them reached the town square, Tai kept on screaming at whatever she thought was cute. Naruto was going to get crazy if she kept going on like that. Her arm was linked on to Sasuke's for the longest time. Sasuke however, was getting tired of her. While his obsidian eyes dozed off, something caught his eyes…something pink.

Sakura went with Otaru to a private spot where there was no noise. She was the one who dragged him there since she was going to tell him her answer. Once they reached the perfect spot, Sakura smiled at him.

"Otaru-kun, this is my answer…" She paused for awhile, tension rose for Otaru as she continued. "…It isn't that I hate you and all but, I just can't accept it."

The world tore apart for Otaru but he sort of expected this to happen. He seemed to be ready for it already. They both stared at first and an awkward silence came in between the two. Otaru couldn't speak. He was too shocked so Sakura decided to break the silence.

"I'm sorry Otaru, but something in me is telling me that I shouldn't accept. Thank you for everything …and, we can still be friends right?" Inside of him, Otaru knew why she acted this way. He inwardly smirked.

"Don't worry, I understand. We could still be friends, besides I knew this would be hard for you." Sakura smiled at him, Otaru though felt really bad inside for, not only being dumped but, for having your 'lover' decline a proposal for marriage.

"Thank you for understanding Otaru-kun. I have to go now." Just before she left, she left a small peck on Otaru's cheek. When she kissed him, he blushed slightly. Her figure ran farther and farther away from Otaru, before he couldn't see it anymore.

"You better take care of her Sasuke…"

The kunoichi ran and looked around as if she was trying to look for something…or someone. She turned left on the corner and then went around the block but couldn't find what she was looking for.

'I know I saw him here…Ah! I know where he is…' With all her chakra left for running, her speed boosted up a bit and arrived at this place where a lake was.

The stars shone already and the moon was like the night before, directly above the lake….except, in this scene, a raven-haired boy stood below a tree, looking out n the view. She approached the figure that stood in front of her.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Her voice was as lovely as ever for Sasuke. Soft, sweet, and comforting.

A nod was all he replied. His wildest guess was that Sakura had declined the proposal. Just like Otaru, he inwardly smirked. His black orbs never lifted to see the kunoichi approach.

"Hey, Sasuke, are you mad at me?" This startled Sasuke a little, causing him to look at Sakura. Their faces were an inch, touching. It made Sakura blush a bit but she tried to hide it with her pink locks.

"What makes you think I am?" She stopped her blushing and looked up at him. His face darkened a bit and his voice was quite soft.

"Well, I heard you say that you---" She paused and thought if she should tell him what she heard from his and Otaru's talk. "---that you find me…weak…and…annoying…"

Surprisingly, Sakura was pulled into a tight, yet comforting hug. She was shocked by his actions. It wasn't the Sasuke she knew, it was Sasuke's sweet personality that showed up now. Sakura couldn't help but blush at his actions. The two hugged under moonlit lake with a starry night. They wished that, that moment would never end…

"Sa---Sasuke…" Her voice was a soft whisper but Sasuke could hear it since her mouth was beside his ear.

"Sakura, I didn't mean those words…I'm sorry if I hurt you. I only wanted you to be happy…" A tear drop fell from the corner of Sakura's eye. It went to Sasuke's shoulder, but he didn't care.

"Happy? How?"

"…You don't deserve someone like me…I'm just afraid that you might get hurt in the end because I can't return your love." His voice sounded shaky and sad…it made Sakura feel worse.

"Sasuke…" She let go of the hug and stared into his eyes. Emerald and obsidian orbs met and just gazed at each other for a very long time.

"…You have always returned my love. You shouldn't worry if I get hurt besides, I though that I always got in your way since you and Naruto always protect me in battle…"

"Oh Sakura, don't be silly. It's not true, in fact…" He leaned in closer and placed his lips beside her ear. "…I think I love you…"

Everything and everyone surrounding Sakura seemed to pause at that very minute. She blushed furiously, just like the day they were introducing each other as a team. Sasuke pulled back and smiled at her reaction. And then Sakura just remembered something.

"H-hey, Sa—Sasuke, wasn't Tai and Naruto with you?" She stammered a bit since she was still affected by what Sasuke said.

"Yeah, but I ditched them, those two were getting on my nerves…" This made Sakura giggle a bit.

"Well, we have to get them since, you know how they are, and Naruto would get lost if he led the way…" The kunoichi turned around to leave until someone grabbed held of her hand. When she looked back, Sasuke was staring at Sakura.

"He is with Tai. Besides…I want you to sing for me again." There was a pause and silence that roamed at first, but then a smile was tugged on Sakura's lips.

"Sure…" On the grassy floor, under the starry night, Sakura, with her kimono spread all around. Sasuke smirked and sat down beside her. And then, she started singing. This night resembled a lot like the other night wherein Sakura sang Sasuke to sleep.

Her voice never changed, for Sasuke, it was still the most beautiful thing he has ever heard. It had the same melody, and flow. The wind softly swept by again, like history repeat itself. Although there was a lake with a moon reflecting on it, the moment never changed. Always, it was, to them…special.

Just as Sakura ended her song, she was already leaning on Sasuke's shoulder. (A/N: Picture them as a cute couple…cute, right? XD) her eyelids felt heavy and so she closed them and rested. Sasuke said to Sakura before she practically fell asleep.

"Sakura, last favor…don't call me Sasuke." All she did was smile with all her heart.

"Sure, Sasuke-kun." And Sakura fell asleep, Sasuke smiled at her reply. After she fell asleep, Sasuke looked at her and blushed at her beautiful face. When she did, he stood up and carried her back to the castle.

**END

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**A/N: Hope you like this story! R&R. Well, if you are wondering what happened to Tai and Naruto, they spent the whole night looking for Sasuke. Pls. NO FLAMES! I have already received a lot of flames, to me they're a lot anyway. I tried to not mind it but it's really hard to. Thanks for all you did to keep this fic running! Anyway, sniff this is the ending! If you were expecting for a different ending…TOO BAD! Sorry, but it's not my fault. I leave the rest of the parts of this story up to you guys. Ja ne!**

**Heart,**

**Ayumi-Aldaba**


	11. Special Edition

AN: Hey guys! Merry Christmas and A Happy New year! Here's a present from me to you guys! I hope you guys will like it. Its sort of like a request… it's an epilogue to this fanfic. It is belated, I know, but it's better than nothing right?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I don't really want to, well, as long as its in the lone hands of Kishimoto-san.

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(This fic occurs five years after their mission, Tsunade is now their Hokage and Sa---…um…well, just read. I'll answer your questions so don't worry)

It is spring. What else is there to say? Konoha was full of joy and happiness. Nothing seemed to bother them at the moment. The wind would match up with trees and make it dance here and there. Flowers bloomed more often in this season then any other. Sakura was one of them. A pink-petal tree with a sturdy trunk but very fragile and delicate, it was.

There, in a Cherry Blossom sanctuary (meaning, it was a place full of Cherry Blossom trees), stood a girl that resembles one to this delicate tree. Right at the outskirts of Konoha, she stood, with her pink her swaying behind her. She was looking straight at every detail of the tree that stood before her. 'I know you can hear me somewhere out there…please---'

"Sakura, we have to go. The hokage called us for urgent news" A manly, deep voice yelled from behind.

This girl named Sakura, snapped out of her trance and turned to see where, or morever, who the voice came from.

"Don't worry, I'm coming Naruto-kun!" He just nodded in reply then headed back to Konoha. Sakura followed in suit.

**Hokage's Office **

"Team 7, I called you here because---" Tsunade was about to finish his sentence until SOMEONE had to cut in.

"Yeah, yeah… it better be something good old geezer. Sir Iruka will treat me to Ichiraku right after this… and you know how much I HATE being late for free treats." Naruto, the blonde and also known as 'dobe', demon-tailed fox, and loud-mouth, was responsible for this.

Sakura's vein twitched, Kakashi slapped his forehead protector, and the 4th Hokage couldn't help but be out of his usual temper.

"AS I WAS SAYING! I called you here because of good news you would be glad to hear about. It regards one of your charges on your mission five years ago." Everyone in team 7 immediately recognized who this was.

"Hokage-sama, what has happened to him?" Sakura asked, respectfully but with a tone of curiosity in her voice.

"Well, about him, he has decided to be one of the knights. And you know their knights back there, they are like ANBUs back here. He is the captain now." Sakura smiled at the news.

"Furthermore, he will be visiting us in a week from now so I expect you three to be one of the first to be there." Team 7, or what is left of it, nodded and left the office right after the hokage dismissed them.

"Who knew that guy would come and pay us a visit?" Naruto said with his hands behind his head. Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi were in their usual meeting spot from long time ago. Sakura just shrugged as she was speechless as well.

"I miss this place, and how we would always, meet up here before when we were genins." Sakura said, changing the topic for some reason.

"But you guys aren't genins anymore, you guys are now chuunins." Kakashi stated the obvious.

"I know. I just miss…" she paused for awhile as if she was about to say out a forbidden name. "…many things from long time ago."

"You mean like Otaru?" Naruto stupidly asked. It couldn't be helped but Sakura just smiled sadly.

"Yeah, like Otaru." Her smiled faded a bit as she just stared at the river flowing beneath the bridge.

Silence occurred… neither one spoke. They seemed to have mind telepathy. All of them were thinking of the same thing at that moment…Sasuke, the boy who betrayed Konoha five years ago. FIVE YEARS AGO, and yet, Sakura couldn't help but feel guilty about the whole thing.

"Hey guys! Want to go to Ichiraku with me? I almost forgot about the treat Iruka-sensei was going to give me." The awkward silence broke.

"Ichiraku sounds like a good idea to me! Let's go!" So, together, they went to the ramen store called 'Ichiraku'.

One week later, the village prepared a welcoming party for the royal family of the country of River. The first people to welcome the royalties were Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura. They all stood at the gigantic gates of Konoha waiting under the heat of the sun. Suddenly, silhouettes appeared from a far. There were a lot of them but they were too unclear to see.

Inch by inch, they came closer until finally, they saw who they really were. It was the royal family, along with their guards on horses.

Otaru seemed the same but grew a bit taller and more handsome. Some of the girls even fainted looking at him. Tai looked more mature but deep down, Naruto could tell the evil in her. There father, the king, looked like he was growing older every second with all his white hair growing.

"Well, hello there Sakura-san, Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun. It's so very nice to see you again." The king greeted as the three nodded in reply. He led his horse to the hokage so they could talk.

"Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun, Sakura-san, its very nice to see you again…where's Sasuke?" he questioned looking around but couldn't find the stoic person anywhere.

"Er…you should come inside first and rest. You must be exhausted from your trip. We'll tell you about everything later." Sakura smiled and assured him while they were all being welcomed into the village.

**INSIDE A RESTAURANT… **

Otaru's father, the king, was having 'business issues' with the Hokage while Otaru decided to be with Sakura and Naruto. Sir Kakashi had a mission to attend to so he wasn't there. There they were the three of them inside a restaurant…Ichiraku.

"So, where is he?" Otaru asked again. His bowl of ramen was served and so were Sakura's and Naruto's.

"Whrehuisfwho?" asked Naruto. His sentence was a bit unclear for Otaru but he was still able to understand his sentence. In the back of his head, his brain was smart enough to somehow translate that question.

"Sasuke, Where is he?" he asked once again.

"He left the country. It all happened five years ago. We never heard from him ever since." Sakura lowered her head a little bit lower so her bangs were covering her eyes now. This made Naruto stop eating for awhile and keep silent.

Otaru couldn't believe what she had just said. She did seem to be lying. But still…Sasuke? Why him? Sure, he was always cold and quiet all the time, but deep inside, he was a really cool guy. He had to admit that. He even won the hearts of many girls which he didn't reply to…except one. His only teammate that is a girl, Sakura.

"S-so he's gone now?" he remained silent after that.

"How's your life been?" Naruto asked, trying to lighten up this gloomy mood as always. He began eating his ramen, and Sakura did too.

"Well, business as always. Father is really busy now days though. I get worried for him. Right now, I'm one of the royal knights, captain, actually." He smiled proudly and ate his untouched ramen.

"Wow, I'm sure you have a girlfriend by now, right?" the kunoichi asked.

"Girlfriend? No. My heart never seemed to give up on you." He turned to face Sakura, who was blushing red like a tomato.

"Hey, don't even think about it!" Naruto placed his fist in front of Otaru, while strangling from Sakura's grip.

"Naruto, calm down."

"Haha, same as always. It was a joke, but I really don't have a girlfriend." Otaru laughed at the sight.

"So, how about you Naruto? Any girlfriend?" Naruto stopped all of a sudden with all his strangling and sat down quietly, blushing furiously. Not only that, he was FIDDLING WITH HIS FINGERS? (AN: Now who do we usually see this from?)

"Hinata is her name. Turns out she has always had a crush on him. She is a quiet person and he is a loud one. Very awkward pairing but it is really sweet!" Sakura grinned at the thought as she answered for Naruto.

"Wow, that is awkward." And they all began to laugh… except Naruto. He was still fiddling with his fingers.

After Ichiraku, they were walking around in the village until Naruto shouted something from out of the blue, making Otaru and Sakura quite startled.

"What time is it? Sir Iruka is suppose to treat me to ramen!" He had a half-annoyed, half-shocked look on his face.

"But we just came from there? Aren't you full yet?" Otaru asked, astounded.

"Don't bet on it. Naruto, you're a jounin already, you should learn how to pay for your own food." Sakura said with a twitch on her lip.

"Well, let's not be hasty now. He just wants us to stay tight 'ya know?" Naruto said with his famous foxy grin and then fled back to Ichiraku.

It was only Sakura and Otaru left now. They walked to the bridge, Sakura's favorite place in Konoha. There, it was quiet. Only the sound of rushing water from the river, the wind, and the rustling of trees were heard. Sakura spoke up after ten minutes or so.

"You know, when I was still a genin, my team would always go here and meet for our missions. You know my team, Kakashi, me, Naruto, and Sasuke. Boy, do I miss those days." The pink-haired kunoichi smiled, remembering her happy memories. She stared at the river beneath the bridge as if it were the best thing in the world. Heck, she looked like she was talking to it.

"Oh really? You must really miss those days and…Sasuke, am I right?" he looked at her as she looked up and faced him as well. Their eyes met for awhile and then Sakura planted her eyes below once again.

"Yeah. I loved him. I told him you know? The day he left…" Otaru was quite shocked at this.

He just smiled at her. 'He actually said that? It is so unlikely of him to do so.' He silently thought. For a second there, he thought he heard sobs. When he faced Sakura, he saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm s-sorry. sob I sob really am. sob" Sakura said silently, as soft as a whisper already.

"Oh Sakura-san." He hugged her from behind. He could hear her heart beat one level after the normal heart beat as he rested his head on her back. Her shoulders would unconsciously move up and down because of her sobs.

They stayed like that for awhile until she stopped crying. Otaru saw that she fell asleep and let her down on the floor for awhile. It was already four hours passed. Time sure knows how to fly when you don't pay attention to it. Sakura's peaceful face was really beautiful to Otaru's eyes. He stared into it.

The king saw them on the bridge and smiled at the incident that was happening. He approached the two and spoke to the man standing above the one who appeared to be sleeping.

"Otaru, did you tell her yet?" His voice remained low as to not wake the girl up.

"No. I didn't have the courage to do it. I don't want to let her go. That Sasuke… he broke her heart. I won't forgive him." His fists unconsciously balled into a tight fist.

"Don't worry, well, we are leaving the day after tomorrow. I'm telling you in advance so you would have time to tell her the news." He placed his man sized hands on his son's shoulders.

**THE NEXT DAY, AFTERNOON… **

"Sakura, come with me. I have to tell you something." He led her to a beautiful garden of cherry blossom trees. He stopped and turned around to face her.

They both just looked at each other straight in the eyes.

"Yes?" She curiously asked.

"Well, I just wanted to ask if, you still wanted to marry me. I mean, Sasuke isn't a part of your life anymore so why don't you just give up on him. Onegai…" He pleaded.

Sakura seemed to be really surprised at his question. This scene seemed too familiar. Oh yeah, back in the country of River, Otaru asked the same question.

"I'm sorry…" She just nodded a 'no' in reply to him.

"But why? Sasuke isn't even here anymore! I could give you anything you want of you be with me." Otaru said or, moreover, shouting, losing a bit of his cool.

"Because, there is a part of this…" she placed her hands on her heart and closed her eyes, as if listening to the wind speak. "…that still wants Sasuke and believes that Sasuke will come back and that he is still alive."

Otaru was speechless. After all the cold treatment he gave her, she never gave up on him. 'her love for him is very strong. Sasuke is a really lucky guy…' Otaru just smirked inwardly.

"Oh Sakura," He caressed her cheek gently, making her look up at him.

"I'm really sorry. We could always be friends, ne?" He just smiled in reply and then walked away, bading her goodbye.

His face seemed really saddened but nevertheless, he tried to put a smile on. On the way to the hotel, he saw Naruto who came out of Ichiraku.

"Ohayou, Otaru!" He shouted at about, 1km away. He waved back at him then walked up to Naruto.

"Come on, I'll treat to more ramen. I am in a good mood today, a bit." Naruto gratefully accepted it. (Even though he just came out of there)

"So tell me, how Sasuke left the village in details." Otaru asked watching Naruto sloppily eat his food.

"Well, the night he left, Sakura stood in his way and persuaded him to not leave and that if he wouldn't stop, she might as well join him. Then he didn't want her to come with him so she threatened him that she would shout---" He paused to slurp ramen into his mouth while Otaru was just shocked at what Sakura did to try and stop Sasuke.

"So anyway, he of course, he didn't want that to happen so he knocked her unconscious. Oh, by the way, she confessed her love to him but as usual she didn't receive a reply from him…poor Sakura-chan…." He slurped ramen once again and stopped.

'so that's what happened…' Otaru thought, silently. Now, he was really surprised at what occurred and what he had missed five years ago.

"But, before Sasuke did knock her unconscious, he said…'thank you' to her. Awkward, ne? It is very unusual for Sasuke to do that. After that, the next day, genins and one chuunin were formed to retrieve Sasuke back but unfortunately, we weren't successful." He paused and drank more soup.

Otaru smiled at the thought of Sakura trying to persuade Sasuke to stop. 'I can't believe he said that. That cold hearted guy really could be open if he tried!'

**DAY OTARU AND THE ROYAL FAMILY WERE LEAVING…. **

"What? He didn't tell you?" Tai asked in a surprised manner. Everyone was in the hotel lobby, in pack, and ready to go.

Otaru was still up stairs, fixing up in packing. Tai was talking to Naruto and Sakura while her father was biding goodbye to the hokage.

"Tell us what?" Naruto asked, baffled.

"You see, he is engaged… to someone from another country." Sakura and Naruto exchanged looks and faced Tai again.

"Only, he rejected. So now, father is really mad at him. Another engagement was arranged so now he is marrying a princess soon." She grinned mischievously. Naruto's jaw dropped and Sakura was in very deep thought.

'And he still had the courage to ask a marriage with me?' Sakura said silently, 'But, I can relate to his feelings.' She smiled and had an idea in her head.

When everyone was at the gates already, and when everyone was waving their goodbyes, Sakura approached Otaru. She smiled at him and so did he in return.

"Arigatou." (Thank you) She said, planting a light kiss on his cheek.

"Sayonara, Sakura-san, Naruto-kun." He waved his goodbye and his figure went smaller and smaller until it disappeared with the others.

**Otaru's POV **

What was that about? His hand unconsciously made its way to his cheek, where Sakura placed her lips on.

"Otaru-chan, what happened to Sasuke-kun?" She asked in a somewhat respectful manner.

"I'll tell you later. By the way, who told her about it?" he asked, addressing everyone in the trip.

"About what?" The king asked.

"Uh…never mind." He shook his head and just shook away the idea.

There, they were, making their way home. This can't be called a happy ending just yet. Not everyone was happy but, at least, smiles were always there all along…

**THE END

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AN: I hope you like it! R&R please. I know its not much but its only one chapter. Anyway, if you do have any questions, do not hesitate to ask because I will answer them. Sorry for the spoilers in here, btw. For the continuation, ask Kishimoto-kun. He is the one who would plan the rest of how Sasuke will come back to Konoha…he WILL come back right? Oh gosh, please tell me he will. Bye ka- dudes at ka-dudettes! taglish!

MeRrY cHrIsTmAs And A hApPy NeW YeAr OnCe AgAiN!

Ayumi-Aldaba


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